"At the moment you are going to see me doing one show next year - and not one in England. I have a contract for this year and that is it."

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Simon dropped the bombshell on us as he admitted that the launch of the US version of the ITV1 talent show could leave him with no time for the UK programme.

And then he even confessed that the UK version may not go ahead at all without him, adding:

"It will have to move. Do people want it back? I am going to sit it out for a few more weeks before I make a final decision. And it has to be fun. The minute it stops being fun, bye bye."

Most Popular

The US version will begin in September next year, which coincides with the UK one.

And Simon is so busy with work, he still doesn't know when he'll find the time to marry former make-artist fiancee Mezhgan Hussainy.

Asked if he will tie the knot next year, he joked:

"We shot that a month ago, but the vicar was auto-tuned so we couldn't show it. You will have to wait and see."

Meanwhile, an ITV source has put us at ease on the future of the 'X Factor', saying:

"We expect he'll be back on the X Factor. It's such a huge show and Simon is integral to it. We envision moving the show to October or November and screening the auditions while he does the live show in the States. Then he can return for the live shows in January."

Newsletter Signup

Don't miss out on Cosmopolitan weekly

Please tick if you would prefer not to receive news & special offers from Hearst Magazines UK, publisher of Cosmopolitan.
Please tick if you would like to receive news & special offers from selected partners of Hearst Magazines UK